Clark Dick1929

American radio and television personality frequently called "the oldest living teenager," also noted as a television producer and film actor, as well as a cultural icon. Dick Clark introduced three generations to pop music, running the gamut from Elvis Presley to Madonna, as the host on the television show "American Bandstand." The role of emcee served him well, as over the years Clark simultaneously hosted hit shows on all three major networks and syndication, most notably the "Pyramid" game shows. Clark, one of two sons of a cosmetic salesman and a homemaker, grew up in Mount Vernon, New York and demonstrated his talent for being in the center of a social whirlwind from his earliest days. At age five he published a neighborhood gossip sheet and sold it for two cents a copy. He idolized radio personality Arthur Godfrey and at age 13, his father took him to a live radio broadcast featuring Gary Moore and Jimmy Durante. Clark was instantly hooked. Along with discovering his niche, Clarks teenage years held family tragedy. His brother Brad, five years his senior, joined the Army Air Corps after graduating high school and became a fighter pilot. "He flew a P-47 mission one day during the Battle of the Bulge and ...he crashed. He didnt reach his 21st birthday. I miss him to this day. Even now I fantasize that they made a mistake and my brother will come walking through that door. My mother did that till the day she died." After the war, Clarks father took a job managing a radio station in Utica, New York so his only living son could have a shot at broadcasting. Clark enrolled in Syracuse University as a radio and worked at the station during the summers, serving as his Dads assistant and part time announcer. His television debut came in 1951 as "Cactus Dick," hosting a local country music show. One year later Clark was employed at WFIL in Philadelphia with his own radio show and commuted to New York to do beer commercials. His success at promoting Schaefer beer came to an abrupt end when brewery owner Rudy Schaefer removed him because he looked too young to be drinking alcohol. But Clarks youthful, clean cut all-American appearance was made to order for his next job. In 1956, when the host of a new Philadelphia music show was arrested for drunk driving and thus fired, newcomer Clark stepped in as replacement. Within months after going to network in 1957, "American Bandstand" skyrocketed to the nations highest-rated daytime show. Clark was the Pied Piper of pop music in America during the late fifties and early sixties, serving as the national disc jockey and showcasing the best musical acts of the day. As a cultural statement, the show blurred the color line before other entertainment mediums did. "A lot of radio stations wouldnt play the black version of a song," Clark recalled, "But I could see that times were changing. We integrated without an incident. It would have been great if the world could have done that too." Clarks sudden fame and fortune screeched to an abrupt halt in 1960, when a music industry payola scandal hit. Exploiting his position, Clark had set up several companies to press and distribute the records that he played on his show. While the practice was not illegal, a congressional investigation determined that it was a conflict of interests and Clark was forced by the network to divest himself of the record companies at a loss of eight million dollars. "It was a nightmare. Youre terrified. Your family is disr Read less